At least three people have been killed and four injured in a fiery eight-vehicle collision on the 10 Freeway, resulting in a multi-lane closure that is snarling rush-hour traffic in Ontario, authorities said.
The collision took place around 1:10 p.m. when a semi-truck failed to come to a stop as traffic was slowing down on the westbound I-10 near the I-15 interchange, according to California Highway Patrol spokesperson Officer Joe Garcia.
The resulting crash caused an eight-vehicle pile-up, involving four semi-trucks and four passenger cars, one of which was engulfed in flames. Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, and four were transported to local hospitals for treatment, Garcia said. Their condition was unknown.
All westbound lanes with the exception of the two FasTrak lanes are currently closed, as are the transition roads from the I-15 to the I-10 westbound, Garcia said. There is no estimate on when the westbound lanes will reopen, and commuters are urged to seek alternative routes.
Jason Calmelat witnessed the crash take place and told KTLA that his first reaction was “somebody just died.”
“The red truck was traveling at a high rate of speed when everyone else was stopped,” Calmelat told the station. “He didn’t hit his brakes, he didn’t try to slow down, he just went full force into the back of another truck, crushing two other cars.”
One of the passenger vehicles “exploded on impact,” sending a “massive fireball” into the air, he said.
